Buttigieg speaks to a reporter in Monroe, Mich., on Dec. 9. (Mike Householder/Associated Press)
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The Biden administration delivered robust investments to repair and modernize infrastructure projects around the country, said Secretary Pete Buttigieg, as he approached the end of his tenure as the nation’s top transportation officer.
At a stop in Pittsburgh 10 days prior to the start of the Trump administration, Buttigieg met with local officials and industry stakeholders to promote passenger and commercial connectivity projects. On Jan. 10, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced the final round of Biden-era infrastructure grants aimed at guaranteeing long-term economic and mobility improvements.
“There’s going to be more benefits from [2021’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act] for years to come,” Buttigieg told the Steel City audience. “The bottom line is we are leaving the condition of American infrastructure much better than we found it. And while this administration is coming to a close, the work that we have launched will be generating good jobs, good livelihoods and good outcomes for years and years to come.
“And whatever I might find myself doing professionally in the future you can be assured that I will be doing my part to remind everybody what it took to make sure that that happened.”
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This month, DOT announced almost $5 billion in grants for more than 560 projects for nearly every mode of transportation. The funds stemmed from the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law. A key aspect of the “Bidenomics” agenda, the 3-year-old law has provided nearly $600 billion to help realize about 72,000 projects.
The department confirmed that thousands of miles of roadway, hundreds of ports and waterway projects, as well as hundreds of railway and supply chain programs have been supported as a result of the law’s enactment. Buttigieg, who recently began describing the law as the “Big Deal,” highlighted funding meant to lower emissions, advance electric vehicle technologies and promote equity and environmental justice.
“When President [Joe] Biden took office four years ago, he immediately faced some of the most profound and wide-ranging transportation crises in the modern era. Through his leadership, this administration passed a sweeping investment in our nation’s infrastructure unlike anything since the Eisenhower years — and did so with the support of both Democrats and Republicans in Congress,” Buttigieg said in a statement that accompanied the grants announcement.
“Though the Biden-[Kamala] Harris administration is drawing to a close,” he went on, “today we’re proud to announce one more major round of grants to keep that work going and further modernize our roads and rails, build out a national [EV] charger network, and ensure that transportation in the 21st century lives up to its basic promise and connects more communities across our nation. It’s a Big Deal.”
The White House provided background information detailing the law’s statewide allocation of funds, noting: “Thousands more recipients will be added in the coming months, as additional funds are distributed through grants, and states and territories launch projects with formula funds.”
Buttigieg is likely to be succeeded by former Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.). The Republican-led Congress and several senior Democrats have endorsed Duffy’s nomination.
Duffy testifies before the Senate Commerce Committee Jan. 15. (Susan Walsh/Associated Press)
Democrats on congressional transportation panels have consistently praised the bipartisan infrastructure law. On its third anniversary Nov. 15, Commerce Committee members highlighted investments for state projects.
Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, the panel’s ranking member, highlighted her state’s infrastructure gains, including a new passenger terminal at Spokane International Airport, an I-5 bridge replacement, energy grid upgrades, salmon habitat restoration and port investments aimed at boosting exports and local jobs.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin emphasized the importance of the Blatnik Bridge project, noting it would improve safety and efficiency for both commercial freight movement and commuters in her state.
Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont praised improvements to the Brattleboro Amtrak station, describing the project as part of a broader effort to enhance passenger rail service nationwide.